college help: I want an honest answer please as to if I should bother going back to college and earning a degree. - Help.com

I want an honest answer please as to if I should bother going back to college and earning a degree.

I am a 28 year old male in the California bay area and was going to San Jose State University until 2004 for a BS in Computer Engineering but due to mostly personal issues I was put on academic disqualification after failing a few classes and have since worked a fairly menial retail job where i earn barely enough to survive and don’t really have a chance for advancement, and besides I’m frankly sick of it.

Now I know some people would say don’t let anything stop you and go ahead and follow your dreams, but honestly is it practical or even feasible for me to try to get back into a four-year college and earn a degree? I’m still not really sure what I want to do with my life, and maybe it’s even too late to think I can get into some reasonably respectable or interesting job, or really make something of my life. Lately it seems harder and harder for me to focus on trying to learn something new or expand my horizons, and maybe I just don’t have the patience or brainpower to apply myself to “learning a trade” or what have you. Also like I stated before I’m on academic disqualification, but apparently I can apply for something called Academic Renewal that may be able to get me back into SJSU, but I took out quite a few loans while there and now am paying back a $17,000 debt slowly from each paycheck. There’s absolutely no way I could afford college unless I happened upon a sudden windfall of cash, got a much better paying PART TIME job (unlikely nowadays) or was able to somehow get loans/grants again.

Also, I’m not even sure if I want to stay in the same major if I DO go back, and to be honest I didn’t really complete much of the coursework geared towards my major so maybe it wouldn’t be too painful to change. I only went into Computer Engineering at the suggestions of my ex’s parents, and didn’t have a motive to do so really except that and the possibility of a decent (paying) career. I’m really not sure what I would want to go into now, I don’t have a real passion and am not particularly gifted in any one field (wanted to go into some sort of English/writing/journalistic position as my writing’s decent I feel but nothing really spectacular). I’m also thinking I would want to do something helpful for the world and others (though I’m somewhat of a misanthrope normally, tbh), maybe research into alternative energy (though I really have no idea what major would suit that best. Environmental studies?), or maybe dedicate myself to charity work or something. Again, I would LOVE to be able to feel dedicated to something for once but I’m really not sure if I have the follow-through. I’ve had lofty dreams of going into a career in astrophysics, as a professor with a research grant or something, but at my age and mental capability it’s probably not going to happen (to say the least).

Maybe it’s better just to count my losses and just try to get the best job I can with the education I have, or be happy with what I’ve got, regardless how pathetic it is (given this economy blah blah blah).I’ve already tried going to community college to take a prerequisite for my old major, but had registered too late and was unable to get into the class I wanted (Chemistry). Some of you, again, might say just throw caution to the wind and go for it, think positive thoughts, etc, but I need to be realistic. It’s a LOT of work, regardless of what I try to pursue if I DO go back to college, and frankly it may not even be possible at this late stage. It’s probably just a bad time for ANYONE to go back to college. I’m just feeling very frustrated with my life and position in it in general, and thirst for a change that will hopefully jumpstart my life in other areas. Any and all advice and suggestions in this regard would be very helpful, and I appreciate anyone taking the time to read and hopefully respond to this unnecessarily long rant. Thanks!

This open post was written 6 months, 3 weeks ago | V/U/S: 379, 10, 8 | Edit Post | Leave a reply | Report Post

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